Solace
by Minunlike
Summary: Sometimes, it comes from the person you least expect.


In the streets of Yasoinaba, a cry rang out.

"Senpaaaaai!"

Souji turned to face the owner of the voice, former pop idol Kujikawa Rise. She ran toward him excitedly.

"I thought I'd find you here!" she said with a sense of triumph. Souji let out an exasperated sigh. Rise had shown obvious interest in him for quite some time now, and would sometimes follow him on his walks through the shopping district. He had to admit it was endearing at first, but it had gotten very annoying after a couple of months.

"Senpai! Would you like to go to Junes with me?" Rise asked hopefully, a slight blush on her face. Souji did not respond, allowing Rise to begin fantasizing out loud about her ideal date with him.

"We could shop for clothes...buy some of those new music CDs...then we could hang out in the food court...Ooh! And maybe we could share a soda! With two straws! And after that we could go to your house and-"

"_Rise._" Souji cut in sharply. His tone of voice was so harsh that it caused Rise to freeze in her current exaggerated hand gesture. She slowly turned her head to look at him.

"I know what you're implying," Souji continued, having gotten her attention. "You've made it perfectly clear. You're one of my best friends, but I can't let this continue." Rise stood in stunned silence. "I hope I will have to say this to you only once. I am not interested in a romantic relationship with you."

Rise had not been prepared for such flat-out rejection.

"O...Okay..." she stuttered, trying to hide the intense emotion that hit her like a wall. "Maybe...we...we could hang out...s-some other time..."

Souji was still somewhat annoyed, but Rise's reaction caused him to feel a twinge of pity for her. "Remember, we are still friends," he said softly, hoping to calm the poor girl. Rise nodded slowly and began to walk away. Once she had gained considerable distance, she looked over her shoulder, then ran without looking back a second time.

* * *

Teddie had had a long day. He had been working at Junes for what seemed like hours, and he had been inside of his costume all that time.

Not that he minded in the slightest.

Today he was hanging around the food court, serving drinks and being Junes's cheerful, lovable mascot. Of course, he took time to flirt with all the ladies he happened to pass, but only managed to embarass himself with his bear punnery. Eventually, he came across a young girl who didn't seem to be in good spirits. Seeing this, he became determined to cheer her up. As he came closer, though, he realized that it was a girl he already knew.

"Rise-chan!" he gasped, surprised. It was not often that Rise came to Junes alone.

Rise did not look at him. "Oh, it's Teddie," she uttered almost inaudibly, as if they were not engaged in direct conversation. She then went back to her own musings as if he were not even there.

Teddie would not have this. He decided to try to lighten the mood a little. "What's a cute girl like yourself doing here all by your lonesome?" he asked somewhat teasingly. "Did you come here to see little old me?"

Rise did not respond.

Teddie tried to think of a bear pun that would go with the current situation, but couldn't. Giving up, he decided to be direct. "What's got you so down, Rise-chan?" he questioned her.

Rise did not respond.

"Why are you here all by yourself?" His question was genuine this time. "I bet you'd be happier with friends here, like Yuki-chan and Chie-chan. And don't forget, you have one charming and handsome friend right here!" he said cheerfully, gesturing to himself.

Rise did not respond. She didn't even move. Teddie sat down next to her.

"I'm sure the guys would be happy to cheer you up too! This place would be tons more cheerful if Yosuke and Kanji were here! And if Sensei came, you'd be smiling in no time!"

Rise snapped.

"Will you just _SHUT UP!_" she screamed, rising from her seat. "Why do you need to bother me about my problems? You just want to flirt with girls! It's not like you care! It's not like _anyone_ cares!"

Rise's sudden outburst caused quite a few people to stare in their direction. Teddie just sat there and looked up at her, unsure how to respond. She looked like she was about to say something else, but all that came out was a strained and unintelligible squeak. Before she knew what was happening, Rise had collapsed back into her chair, sobbing uncontrollably. Everyone in the vicinity was now staring at her, but she didn't care. Nothing mattered anymore. She had so many adoring fans, but the one person she loved didn't return her feelings. She was here crying her eyes out because of him, and he was completely unaware of it. Without him, who was left? Who could she love who would love her for herself? There was no one else in the world who could-

Her thoughts were interrupted as she felt a soft, squishy arm around her. For once, Teddie was trying to handle the situation without cracking jokes. By this time, Rise was not thinking straight. Acting upon instinct, as well as a simple desire for comfort, she latched onto Teddie and cried into his fur. Strangely, he didn't seem to mind this. As for Rise, she was grateful for any source of affection, even if it was from a giant bear.

The two stayed like this until Rise got everything out of her system. By the time she had finished, everyone else had shifted their attention back to their own affairs. Having calmed down, Rise pulled away from the embrace. Still in a state of conflicting emotion, all she could do was sit there and stare at Teddie, who was smiling at her.

"I care about Rise-chan," he said quietly. At this, Rise couldn't help but smile.

"Thank you, Teddie."

After Teddie's shift was over, the two spent a few more hours hanging out and talking.

"Rise-chan?" Teddie finally asked.

"What?" Rise replied inquisitively.

"Can I score with you?"

Rise said nothing, but slowly nodded.

* * *

Author's Note: I have _no idea_ what possessed me to write something like this. It was originally written for the badbadbathhouse Persona 4 Kink meme. I just had a desire to write something fluffy, but I don't know if I succeeded in that regard. Anyway, I hope someone enjoys this! Reviews are always appreciated.


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